April 3, 2010-

I still get a lot of questions about diet and health, since most people knew me for years as the huge guy at the races, and in about a year, I lost 120 lb and a lot of problems went away.

I owe many thanks to the Holtorf Medical Group in Torrance, Ca. This page is a summary of what I learned after seeing them in August 2007 and a lot of stuff I picked up since.

Getting to the Point, What to Eat, What Else to Do:

Everyone is different of course, but I'll start with what I have been doing since August 2007. This is advice for people that are big and nothing seems to be working:

Short Version:

-Do the South Beach Diet.

It was developed by a heart doctor that was getting better results with the right diet than with pills. The more severe the weight problem, the longer you should try to stay on Phase 1. Get to know the glycemic index and stick to things with a low GI.

Even if your health is way out of whack and you are on cholesterol meds or blood pressure meds, things will get better with South Beach and you probably will surprise your doctor when you don't need them anymore!

My own version:

Based on my dr's advice, here are things I cut out entirely-

-Milk See this link!
-Bread of all types
-Pasta
-Anything with sugar
-Butter and margarine
-American cheese (over processed and US milk is contaminated with hormones)

I also avoid-

-Just about anything processed and in a box or a can
-Anything with partially hydrogenated oils (read labels carefully!)
-Wheat products (A lot of people don't tolerate them and don't realize it)
-Red meat (A lean steak once in a while won't hurt)

What's left to eat?

Not much! I just stick to what has been working-

Breakfast-

-Walnuts, fish, eggs cooked in olive oil, a bit of Romano cheese, or veggies.

-Snack on tuna or salmon mid morning to keep from being hungry later.

Lunch-

-Almost always a salad, be carefull with salad dressing.

Evening-

-Any of the above, plus celery and natural peanut butter or hummus, grilled fish, fresh chicken or turkey, veggies with a low GI (no potatoes or carrots). I like to get a package of fresh chicken and grill enough for the week.

-Healthy spices- A lot of specialists recommend basil, turmeric, and paprika.

That is just about everything in the cupboard or fridge. You don't need to eat much in the evening and won't want to if you stick to the above.

-Suppliments

A lot of experts say you don't need vitamins or suppliments, but a lot of experts are stupid too.

What I'm doing:

-Omega 3 Fishoil (At least 6 a day)
-DHEA/Pregnenolone (50mg/100mg)
-Vitamin D (10,000 IU) Most people would be fine with 2,000 IU.
-B Complex with Iron. I get a strong mix from my dr that also has Vit A, C, and a good mix of minerals like magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, and chromium.
-Maitake D Fraction (360 mg) This is a mushroom extract that assists the immune system.
-Maitake SX Fraction (about 3,000 mg) This is a custom blend mixed with green tea that boosts insulin sensitivity.

At night:

Melatonin with GABA, 5-HTP, and L-Theanine (12 mg). This is to sleep better and wake up better as well.

That is just the short version...